New Sharp Blu-ray recorder supports BDXL 100GB and 128GB discs

Sharp’s new BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70 Blu-ray recorders will support the BDXL format. Sharp recently launched their range of 100GB Blu-ray discs. Both recorders will be released in Japan later this month.

However, the new BDXL format will not be backwards compatible with existing Blu-ray players or recorders, meaning that the BDXL discs will only play on BDXL hardware, such as the two new Sharp Aquos Blu-ray recorders.

Both recorders come with a massive 2TB of on-board storage for the PVR function, and also supports Blu-ray 3D playback.

The 100GB record-once BDXL-R discs cost 5000 yen, or about $US 55 to 60 per disc.

It’s unknown at this stage whether BDXL will be used to commercially distribute movies, but if this were to happen, all current Blu-ray players (and many scheduled to be released this year) will be obsolete.